Amidst ongoing political developments, Union Minister Amit Shah is yet to fulfill his pre-election promise regarding Eastern Nagaland’s statehood demand, leaving several organizations and tribal bodies in the region waiting.
Despite assurances made that the demand for a separate statehood will be met “before election,” the issue of Frontier Naga Territory remains unaddressed. In recent days, numerous organizations and tribal bodies of Eastern Nagaland have held consultative meetings to discuss their concerns, echoing a common sentiment: “We will wait for the draft from MHA.”
According to the representatives of Eastern Nagaland, Home Minister Amit Shah promised them on 7 December 2023 that the issue would be settled before the enforcement of the Lok Sabha election’s Model Code of Conduct.
“We even requested the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to share the draft with us before finalizing any agreements so that we can read through. The MHA also agreed. However, till now, the MHA has not fulfilled its promise,” the ENPO representatives said in a press conference today.
The ENPO acknowledged that the Government of India has expressed the impossibility of granting full-fledged statehood or Union Territory status to Eastern Nagaland. Instead, the MHA proposed a “unique model” under Article 371 A, which will undergo review after ten years, said Tsapikyu Sangtam, president of ENPO, noting its distinctiveness and the commitment to periodic review.
The ENPO further stated that the Government of India, along with the Government of Nagaland and various tribal bodies, has urged reconsideration of their separate statehood demand and, therefore, they have been waiting for the draft of the “unique arrangement” from the MHA.